Ashish Samtani
Professor Robert Anderson
English 001A-034
7 November 2014
Enter as Strangers, Leave as Friends
Made from simple and savory ingredients, authentic Thai cuisine blends the blandest of base foods with the most exquisite of spilkces and peppers in order to create a highly flavor-oriented dish. The Thai culinary technique is based on having the food as flavor filled and fresh as possible. In order to achieve this, the food is prepared with the simplest ingredients with the freshest quality; recently caught fish brought every morning, rice from fields rather than factories, aromatic herbs along with locally grown spices. All of these ingredients are then stir-fried, sautéed, steamed, or grilled with a special sauce in order to make the dish as healthy and natural as possible while also being quite flavorful. Thai cuisine is one of the finer nuances of world cuisines due to its unique and complex flavors.
Within Southern California, Riverside is home to one of the few Thai restaurants that I have personally been to that is as close to the taste of its motherland’s original palate. Holding a place in Riverside’s Top 10 Restaurants, Bann Thai House is home to a unique and memorable dining experience. Their menu and lunch specials are reasonably priced with more than satisfying food portions, perfect for college students looking for an extraordinary dinner within a fair budget.
Upon turning the car onto Brockton, I noticed how the local area changed from The Riverside Shopping Plaza to a residential locale within seconds. After first glance at the exterior of the restaurant, I felt that I had poorly chosen a place for my last lunch with my family before my first day of college. The building was small, sharing a parking lot of twenty-five cars with the neighboring Italian restaurant. It was solid white with an old fashioned porch-set out front. After walking past the threshold of the restaurant, I began to relax and feel more positive about my choice. The interior of the restaurant gave off a very homey impression. After entering the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a plaque above the front desk which read “Enter as Strangers, Leave as Friends.” This, along with the other conventional mementos, made patrons such as my family feel right at home, giving off a comforting vibe. The walls were covered with Chinese and Thai oriented statues, art, and knick-knacks along with plaques of cheerful and delightful phrases and sayings. A light scent of spices and herbs filled the air. The restaurant was filled with people of a wide variety of backgrounds, ranging from college students and professors to big business professionals. Modern pop and jazz music flowed throughout the air, maintaining a soft and smooth atmosphere. We were immediately seated at our table next to two city officials who were having a low-key business meeting during their lunch. On the wall beside our table was a painting of a boy with his dog standing in a boat, paddling through a river basin. We then got settled down and opened our menus, eager to see if this restaurant would compare to our usual favorite Thai restaurant down by Yorba Linda.
After talking to the waitress and looking into the origin of Bann Thai, I learned that this residentially-based restaurant had been a family-home before it was “transformed and redesigned” by Sam. Guests were seated in the cozy, converted living room area of the house. The waitresses were constantly on the move, making sure all the guests were satisfied and content with their dishes.
Sam, the owner, had come to America a little over thirty-five years ago as a student. He quickly began to miss his hometown cuisine. After frequenting local Thai restaurants, he felt that “none were on par” with what his taste palate was used to. It became his mission to “bring culturally authentic Thai cuisine to the people of Riverside.” All he truly desired was to make customers “try something new, something old, something traditional, or something recommended by [the] staff” (Arch). Now by being one of “Riverside’s Top 10 Restaurants,” Sam can successfully and happily say that he had achieved his mission.
I opened the menu to the beverage options as I saw the waitress coming closer with her pen and notepad to take our order for drinks. I scanned the restaurant to see if there were any unique beverages other customers were drinking. I noticed that many tables were filled with two-foot high glasses of Thai Milk Iced Tea. Being one of my favorite drinks, I ordered the milk tea on the spot. When it came out, I was purely excited. Generally, Thai iced tea is served as a two layered drink that must be mixed before drinking. At Bann Thai, they made it just like that — using the original and authentic recipe which called for using tea made from the freshest of tea leaves for the dark brown bottom layer and milk/creamer for the white top layer. The dual-layered drink was then served to the customer who would then mixed the two layers, causing a reaction within the drink that changed it from its original two-tone color to a bright orange hue. I slowly pressed my lips against the straw, anticipating the typical strong, sweet, and savory flavor. The first sip gave off a very sugary and sweet flavor, titillating my taste buds on the spot.
The waitress approached my table minutes later asking for my order. I ordered my usual spicy Thai dishes that I love: Phad Se-ew, Red Panang Coconut Curry, and Pineapple Fried Rice. On that day however, I wanted to try something different — Angel Wings. Thai Angel Wings are stuffed chicken wings served with a side of sweet and spicy sauce. From my experience, that specific dish was either a hit or a miss for any restaurant. The Angel Wings came out first. A deboned stuffed chicken wing with the wing bone remaining was carefully set on the plate after having been pan fried in a sweet chili garlic sauce. I smoothly cut a piece of the meat and dipped it in their special house sweet and spicy sauce and took a bite. It was definitely a hit. The rest of my order came soon after. The Pineapple Fried Rice gave off a Hawaiian aroma with a hint of the chili peppers. Next was the Panang Curry; a spicy red curry with a splash of coconut milk, bell peppers and basil. Because Panang Curry is one of my favorite curries since I first had it in Thailand, I found their flavoring similar with that of its cultural origin. It was perfectly balanced with its spices and rich in flavor with its fresh bell peppers. The tofu was perfectly steamed so it gently ripped apart as the spoon pierced it. The final dish, the Phad Se-ew, was definitely my favorite dish of the day. It consisted of wide drunk noodles that were stir fried with eggs and vegetables while being sautéed in a soy sauce and herbal spices. I had asked for this to be made at the highest spice level and the chef was sure to deliver my request. One bite and my mouth exploded with flavor; sweet bell peppers mixed with spicy chili peppers with the soy sauce slowly grilled into the noodles. I had not had a Phad Se-ew this well prepared in a long while. Its taste was so authentic and delicious that I had to order one for takeout as well.
After finishing our meal, Sam walked over to our table with a welcoming grin, stopping and asking how our food was. Completely satisfied with a belly full of food, I responded saying how rich in flavor his food had been and how I definitely planned on returning. He looked at my family and his smile grew even larger. He shook each of our hands and said, “See you soon, friends,” and then continued to wander around the restaurant. Sam’s character was overall convivial and openhearted. Like his food, he was very refined and cultured.
Although quaint and old-fashioned, Bann Thai is definitely a dining must-have for those who reside in the Riverside area and are looking for an authentic Southeast Asian dinner. Its locality near the Riverside Plaza is great for those who reside in the neighboring area, no matter what the occasion. Upon entering and being seated, the service from start to finish is remarkable. The employees are always smiling and are ready right around the corner for their customers’ hunger needs. Overall, what really makes this restaurant spectacular is its authenticity. From the flavorful food to their homely regime, Bann Thai creates a comforting environment for its patrons. You enter as strangers and leave as friends.

Works Cited
Arch, Sam. "BANN THAI (THAI HOUSE)." Bann Thai (House). Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.bannthairiverside.com/>.
Arch, Sam. Personal interview. 31 Oct. 2014.
Markley, ShaaBree, and Rebecca Medeiros. "Bann Thai." Riverside Top 10. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://riversidestop10.com/bannthaireview.aspx>.